How to write a job description to attract great hires

In today’s world of many talent-based firms and agile start-ups, it becomes pertinent that companies get better at writing job descriptions which gets them the kind of candidates they are looking for.

A large majority of recruiting managers, almost 2/3rd of them say that attracting a quality candidate is their topmost challenge. Here we will take a look at some of the steps that can be taken by companies for designing the job description format to get good candidates:

1. Clear and concise job description

Starting from the title to the end of the job profile, the aim should be to keep things clear and in order. Funky and frivolous words like “ninja”, “rockstar”, “guru”, etc. do not work anymore. Choose words that a search engine can easily find out and do not base them on terminologies used within your company. For example; if you keep the title as “client relationship manager” which is very specific to your company’s lingo, but many people might look for “account manager” and miss getting your job profile in the result. The job description should follow a logical format, and there should be a call to action at the end of the description. One such good format can be:

Job Title – No buzzwords but a neat title which depicts the true nature of the job.
Summary – This must give a clear idea to the prospect of what your business does and how it is different and special from others in the same business field.
Role description – This is the most important part. It would help if you weighed how broad or how specific you want the job responsibilities to sound. If it is too broad, then many might apply, and you might have to deal with a lot of unwanted resumes. If it is too narrow, then you might miss out on some excellent job seekers. As per a survey, males might apply for a job if they meet even 60% of the criteria, but women are looking for a 100% fit with the job they are applying for. So a “must-have” description along with a “nice to have” description will help prospects decide if they suit that kind of role or not.
Benefits – This section should include all the necessary things like remunerations, job location, means of commute (whether you offer company cars or buses), Healthcare, 401K (retirement plan). Along with these some unique things that your company has to offer like child care support, flexible hours, work from home, etc.
Call to action – By providing a link to the application, you can make it very convenient for people to apply. That would garner more applicants as well.

2. Keep the length of the job description right

The period should be detailed enough to make applicants understand the most important tasks of the job but not too long that they lose interest. 700 to 1200 words job description is supposed to be an ideal length.

3. Tell them your story but also give them a vision of the future

Your company might have earned laurels in the past, but in today’s age of unprecedented growth, people are more interested in knowing where you are heading towards. Candidates want to know what your company wants to achieve with the role they are offering. Whether you value creativity or innovation, or you are a SaaS company that is looking to widen their product offerings, all this should be part of the job description format.

4. Analytics usage can help with a better understanding of what candidates look for

If you use comprehensive data analytics to track and gauge what is the demography of people who show interest in your job profile; how you have fared in reference with your competitors, what has worked or not worked and what improvements are needed then over time you can understand what factors contribute in bringing the best candidates to apply.

To grow and sustain their company, recruiters need to do evidence-based research and come up with a captivating job description. This also helps in building your company’s reputation and gives you an edge over competitors.